Ash-collecting apparatus.



LJOHNSTON.

AsH COLLECTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1914. v

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

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ASH COLLECTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 3o, 1914.

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v1. JOHNS-IGN. ASH COLLECTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1914- v Patentgd Mar. 28,1916.

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Application filed November 3G, 19M. Serial No. 'll'i.

'o allzu/1,0m 'it maja/f concern A`l3e it lrnoivn that: l, JOHN donnsron, a British subject, residing at New York, N. Y., have invented certain new and useful lmproyements in ish-Collecting Apparatus, of which the following is a specilication.

illy present invention comprises an improved apparatus for collecting ashes, and has among its objects to provide a simple, durable and eihcient form of motor driven apparatus; and the invention includes the novel features of construction and arrangement and combination ot' parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

An apparatus embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l. is a side elevation of the appara tus; Fig. 2 is a pla-n vievv; and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation. Fig. d is a detail vievv.

Referring by reference characters to this drawing, the letter A designates a motor vehicle which, except as hereinafter specified, may be of the ordinary or any desired con struction, and may be propelled in any suitable manner.

As the propelling mechanism terms no part ot the invention, l have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the same herein.

In rear of 'the drivers seat is located a transverse platform B upon which is mounted an electric motor l deriving its current from any suitable source of supply. This may be a storage battery, or it the vehicle is of the gas electric type, the current may be furnished by a generator driven by the gas engine. This motor, by means of suitable sprockets and chains indicated by the numerals 9. to 6 inclusive, drives a shaft 8 around which passes an elevator belt 9 which carries one or more ash can lifting shelves or :flights l of ordinary construction, the belt being supported at its upper end by pulleys 11 mounted on a shaft journaled in the casing or housing 19 which eX- tends upwardly from the platform.

l aim to take lilled ash cans, place them in a closed receptacle upon an elevating device, litt the cans to a Vdumping position Where the ashes are discharged upon a chute leading to a receptacle carried by the ve hicle, after which the can is reversed in position automatically and delivered right side up to be utilized for relling and elevating to the point of discharge. This avoids the labor of lifting the ifilled can manually to any material height, and also insures that the dumping shall take place in a closed space, preventing the llying clouds ot ash dust so objectionable .vith the ordinary methods of handling ashes. Downward movement of the inverted can is interrupted by the stop 22 and further movement is continued after the lrnoclool lever 23 has tilted the bottom of the can forward and doi-vn the inclined plane 24 ot the forward portion of the casing- 19. -this tilting action is caused by the :torce of the impact ot the can on the stop 29;, which forms, in combination with the lever 23, a bell crank action.

in operation the full can C is set on the bracket l0 (see position a@ in Figs. l and 3).,

Through the motive power (Fig. this bracket or shel'l' is raised, the full can remaining in its upright position until the position "y is reached.. At that point the top of the can is tilted toward the right hand side ot' the machine until it is completely inverted to the position shown m. The rear or the top of the inverted can strikes the stop 22, causing the lever to push the inverted bottom oi' the can forward and downwardly until it reaches the upright position shown at n in Figs. l and 3. From this position the can drops along the inclined bottom 2liof the forward end of the casing 19 to the portion 19a of the casing in position to be removed for relilling.

As shown in Fig. 2, the empty can 1s shown in dotted lines at the right of the casing 19e, and the full can at the left of the casing 19 and in position to be lifted by the elevator, Fig. l showing doors which permit the taking out of the empty can from the part 19 ot the casing and inserting it in the door to lett thereof on the shell or' the elevator belt. rEhe filled can is carried up by the elevator and dumped, the ashes being directed into the receptacle C by the chute shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and after the tilting action the can is reversed in position as shown in Fig. l and is directed to the position shown to the right ot Fig. 2 by the inclined Wall shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Yielding springs 2l are provided in the lower part of this casing` to prevent the can being injured by the fall, and from this position the can may be removed through a suitable door presided for the purpose.

a spreader comprising a pair of endless chains 21 passing over pulleys 21a, 21", and provided with slats or flights to effect the even spreading of the ashes within the receptacle and prevent theirv piling up at one end. The pulleys at 2lb are drive pulleys, and are mounted on a shaft having a worm wheel driven by a Worm 14. which has its shaft 14a projected through the end of the' casing, and provided with Aa square end to engage a square opening in the shaft of a pulley 13 which is driven by the motor 1. Thus as the ash receptacle C is slid back and forth, the shaft and pulley are automatically en gaged and disengaged.

The motion of the elevator 9 is very slow, and furthermore it will be understood that any suitable means for starting and stopping the motor may be used.

At the rear of the vehicle or truck I provide a combined sweeping and elevating means which ispreferably 1n the form of a truck frame D having two supporting wheels d and a steering wheel d detachably connected by a short tongue E With the rear of the motor vehicle. This truck D carries a water tank D connected with a suitable sprinkler F and also a motor G which, through suitable gearing, drives a sweeper II. This sweeper sweeps the dust into a invaaaa vating means adapted to receive and elevateeo a filled ash can, and means for dumping the same, and means for moving the can laterally to automatically reverse for reuse, substantially as described.

2. In combination a motor vehicle having a collection receptacle, a housing at one end of said receptacle, having a chute delivering into said receptacle, means for elevating ash,

cans and inverting them to empty the contents upon the chute, said housing having a separate compartment for y'receiving the empty can and means independent of the elevating action for righting the empty canv and delivering it to said receiving compartment.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN JOHNSTON.

Witnesses JOHN A. FAHEY, JOHN GRooM. 

